LIFESCI 7A Chapter Notes - Chapter 1.3: Prokaryote, Cytoplasm, Cell Nucleus
Document Summary
Cell: simplest entity that can exist as an independent unit life. Every known living organism is either a single cell or an ensemble of a few to many cells. Their dimensions well below the threshold of detection by the naked eye. Nucleic acids store and transmit information needed for growth, function, and reproduction. First essential feature of a cell is its ability to store and transmit information. Cells require a stable archive of information that encodes and helps determine their physical attributes. Another hallmark of life is the ability to reproduce. Cells must be able to copy their archive of information rapidly and accurately. A double-stranded helix with each strand made up of varying sequences of four different kinds of molecules connected end to end. The arrangement of these molecular subunits that makes dna special. Provide a four-letter alphabet that encodes cellular information. Protein: key structural and functional molecules that do the work of the cell.
